Ahmaud Arbery murderers verdict

by Brayden Yee

Photo by NBC

All three men responsible for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery were found guilty this Wednesday. The jury reached its decision after ten hours of deliberation. The men will now face minimum sentences of life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The verdict comes more than one year after Greg McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and neighbor William Bryan fatally shot Arbery in February 2020. Bryan recorded the cellphone video, which was leaked two months later.

The defense argued that they suspected that Arbery was a burglar, which led them to arm themselves and chase Arbery. Defense attorneys claimed that the McMichaels were attempting a legal citizen’s arrest and were planning on detaining and questioning him for burglary. Travis McMichael took the stand stating that he shot Arbery in self-defense and that Arbery attacked him with his fists.

Prosecutors stated that there was no evidence that Arbery had committed a crime, and thus, no reason to chase him. They argued that Arbery was attacked because he was a black man running down the street, not because he was a threat.

The murder of Ahmaud Arbery, along with the killings of other unarmed black men, have sparked mass protests against racial injustice and police brutality. Arbery’s mother thanked those who participated in the protests demanding justice for her son, stating that Arbery will now rest in peace.